Meanwhile: A Continuation of that which was left Undone
by ProtegeOmega
Summary: I am not Mojo, but I have been reading his work for years and I think I can sorta follow his style and bring this story where I think he wanted it to end.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 7: The Road to Recovery**

 _I know that I am not the original author and I acknowledge that this story does not belong to me in any way. I have simply decided to pick this story up where Mojotheomegawolf left off and give it the ending it deserves._

 _The original story Meanwhile belongs to Mojo, and if you have not already read In the Negative and the first six chapters of its sequel Meanwhile please read them first._

Humphrey's eyes opened slowly and he found that the sun was just beginning to thrust its rosy fingers over the mountains to the east. He groaned in aggravation, because he knew that it was time for him to get out of bed, but he really didn't want to. However, with a sigh, he carefully untangled himself from his mate and then pressed himself up onto his haunches, but everything that he had been told the previous night held him in place momentarily. He turned his eyes down to his mate who still slept comfortably, then allowed his gaze to drift off behind him to the necklace which hung from a root near the back wall of the den. In the shadow of the den, the crystal only glinted as the tiniest slivers of light from the morning sun touched its face. He turned around and walked over to it, but little did he know that as he made his way toward the necklace, he had stirred Kate from her slumber.

She crooned softly as she lifted her head then turned to Humphrey just as he paused before the necklace.

"Humphrey?" she called softly, but his focus on the necklace was so great that he didn't even hear her.

He stared intently at the crystal which hung on the root before him then watched as it began to cast a dim, white light upon his face. He couldn't believe it. Here was his soul, everything that he was, and everything that he would ever be, hanging on a thin string of vine. He reached his paw out toward the crystal and wrapped it behind the vine so that he cradled the crystal over his pads and watched as the light inside grew slightly brighter.

Kate watched her mate for a moment as he continued to study the necklace, curious as to why he had taken such a sudden fascination to it. Carefully, she rose to her paws and began to walk over to him.

"Humphrey, what are you doing?" she asked him as she drew near.

Humphrey was finally awakened from his trance as he felt his mate's presence and he slowly turned to her as he allowed the necklace to hang freely once more.

"Kate... I..." he began slowly, as he knew that he would have to tell her, but he sighed as he felt his courage slip away.

"Are you okay, Humphrey?" she asked as she moved in closer to him, "is something wrong?"

Humphrey turned to her wistfully and a moment of silence was shared between them that betrayed his inner turmoil, but after such a moment had passed, he gave her his best, fake smile then shook his head.

"Nah," he lied as he placed his paw on top of hers, "it was just a crazy dream, that's all."

Kate could sense that he wasn't being honest with her, but she brushed it aside for a moment.

"Oh?" she asked him intrigued, "about what?"

Humphrey relapsed momentarily into silence as he recalled everything that he had seen and discovered the previous night, then allowed a smile to tug at one corner of his mouth as he shrugged.

"You know, I can't hardly remember now," he lied.

"Now, Humphie," Kate said softly as she flattened her ears, "you know that I know better."

Humphrey sighed as he too allowed his ears to fall limp on the top of his skull.

"So tell me," Kate began again as she moved around to his front and took a seat, "what's on your mind?"

"Kate..." he began hesitantly as he too eased back into his haunches, "what would you do if you one day woke up and discovered that you never actually knew who you were?"

The depth of this question caused Kate's brows to furrow in both confusion and concern and she scooted herself closer to her mate.

"What do you mean, Humphrey," she asked him.

"Just... create a hypothetical with me," he began again, "let's say that you discovered that everything you knew about yourself, including your past, your present, your future, and your purpose was a lie... what would you do? How would you even go about starting over?"

Kate's confusion only grew as Humphrey continued to speak and she cocked her head. She had no idea what Humphrey was talking about or what he had seen, but whatever it was, she didn't like it.

"Does this have anything to do with your dream?" she asked knowingly as she placed her paw on top of his.

Humphrey nodded slowly.

"I know that it's silly of me to be this worked up over a dream," Humphrey continued, though he intentionally danced around what he had actually experienced, "but it just got me thinking."

Kate smiled softly and scooted in until she was pressed up against his side and she nuzzled her head up beneath his chin.

"Humphrey, I know you're worried about me and the pups, and I know that sometimes we have a hard time remembering exactly who we are, especially in the face of adversity," she comforted, "but you don't ever need to wonder who you are, or worry that who you are isn't good enough. I know the real you, and that's all I've ever wanted."

Humphrey smiled softly as he listened to his mate, but he had to fight back the sorrowful sigh that threatened to pass over his lips, because while Kate's intentions were good, she had no idea just how wrong she really was.

"And even if you still find yourself lost, just remember that the answers we seek always lie within ourselves," Kate concluded, "even if they may seem to be beyond our reach."

As Kate's thoughts drew to a close, she pulled away from her mate and met his gaze with a soft smile.

"Thank you, Kate," Humphrey thanked with a false smile that mirrored hers.

Kate nodded once.

"Now, get going," she said to him with a motion of her head toward the mouth of the den, "Miles needs you."

Humphrey nodded as he rose to his paws.

"What about you?" he asked her, "is there anything you need?"

Kate shook her head as she carefully pressed herself up onto her paws.

"Nah," she replied, "I'll be fine until you get back." She then smiled. "You know, I haven't slept past sunrise since I was a pup. I think I'm gonna enjoy sleeping in for once."

Humphrey nodded as he stepped forward and embraced Kate in a nuzzle.

"Alright, I'll be back later," he said as he draped his muzzle on her shoulder.

Kate returned the embrace then pulled away.

"I love you, Humphrey," she crooned softly, "so much."

Humphrey smiled as they separated.

"I love you too," Humphrey replied, "now get some rest."

With that said, he moved past her and then began to pad off toward the mouth of the den. Kate watched him go until the tip of his tail disappeared around the corner of the den. Then, once she was certain that he was gone, she sighed and flattened her ears.

"But if this training does change you, please don't change too much," she begged softly.

A&Ω

As Humphrey moved through the dull light of the morning he carried himself almost as though in a daze. His paws scraped across the ground as he walked and he kept his eyes low to the path as his thoughts continued to tug his attention back to the dream he had the previous night. He bore such egregious knowledge of what horrors awaited the park if he did not serve his purpose ordained by his creator, but he could not come forward with this information because nobody would believe him.

On top of all of this, his mate was pregnant and on injured reserve, he had to help his friend defeat his battle with the berries, and in order to do anything at all about finding and destroying the Deceiver, he had to first destroy his own self and become capable of doing something of which he had never before dreamed. The only problem with that was, he could not begin this process until he rescued his friend from his addiction and there was no way of knowing how long that would take.

Miles had claimed that he would kick his addiction in just two weeks, but he wasn't convinced. He and Kate had watched him self-destruct for a long time and the level to which he had sunk would likely take a year at the least to overcome. He knew that he didn't have that long. Kate needed him trained as soon as it was possible for him to be trained, as did their pups, but he also needed to find this threat to his home and destroy it, maybe even sooner than Kate needed him trained. He didn't know why, but he couldn't escape the feeling that if he didn't find the Deceiver and defeat him soon, he wouldn't have a mate or a pack for which to train.

The pressure was almost too immense for him to bear, but he couldn't let it get to him. If he did, he would lose his mind. He sighed as he attempted to settle his mind and lifted his head in an attempt to escape his stress by focusing on the land around him. The morning atmosphere was something for which he had developed an affinity during Alpha School, and even though his body still hated an early rise, his mind and spirit were stimulated by the beauty of the mist as it hovered above the grass, the crispness of the air, and the life of an earth as it came back to life once more.

He took in a deep breath through his nose and slowly pushed it out between slightly parted lips, and as his lungs emptied, he felt some of the tension leave his body. His ears and tail fell about half an inch, which indicated that his body had begun to settle, but the remnants of his dream still remained. The truth which he had been sheltered from for so long was one which he did not wish to ever have to accept. He had spent his entire life blaming his father for what had happened to them, and justifying his actions accordingly, but in reality it was all his fault. He may not have been in control of his actions, but it was his teeth and his claws which killed them. Their blood was on his paws, and all because the ones who were supposed to keep him safe allowed that monster to possess him. He wished so badly that he could just block it out completely like he had before, or that she had taken that memory away from him when she retrieved his memory regarding the necklace, but this time the guilt would not be so easy to bury or erase. This was something which he would now have to carry with him for the rest of his life.

He did not realize that these thoughts had carried him all the way to Miles' den until the scent of berries rose into his nostrils. This thought did not process in his mind until he lifted his eyes to find himself standing before his friend's den, but when it registered in his mind, he sighed sharply.

"Well, so much for getting rid of them..." Humphrey muttered bitterly as he paused outside of the den and mentally prepared himself for what he would probably find.

"Miles," he called, but there was no response.

"Miles," he called again in a voice which betrayed his growing frustration, but still nothing inside of the den stirred.

With an annoyed grunt, Humphrey took a step toward the den and then ducked down so he may enter. However, as his head breeched the threshold between the den and the outside world, a voice resonated behind him.

"Oh, good morning, Humphrey," it greeted warmly.

Humphrey, startled by the sudden address, jumped and hit his head on the top of the den. He grimaced as a dull pain began to radiate through his skull and he quickly pulled his head out then turned around to see Miles standing behind him with two pieces of meat at his paws.

He could tell that Miles was trying to keep a straight face, and this irritated him slightly, but he did his best to conceal his convictions.

"What are you doing up already?" he asked with only a hint of venom in his tone as he nursed his head with his paw.

"I may be a drunk, but I was an alpha once, remember?" Miles replied, "some parts of me just won't go away."

"Oh..." humphrey replied as he lowered his eyes to his paws, "I'm sorry... I thought..."

Miles lifted a paw, but almost lost his balance when this equilibrium was disturbed.

"I don't blame you," he replied as he righted himself once more, "this is actually the first time I've been up before sunrise since... hell, I guess a little while after you flunked out of school."

"I didn't-" Humphrey began in his own defense, but stopped himself as he realized that Miles was only joking, "whatever, I've got a question for you."

"You want to know how much I've had to drink," Miles deduced flatly.

Humphrey only replied with a nod.

"Half a bushel last night, and three berries this morning when I woke up," Miles stated matter-of-factly, "hungry?"

Humphrey's eyes floated down to the meat at Miles' paws then back up to his face with a nod, so Miles nodded in return and then pitched a piece of meat over to him. Humphrey opened up his mouth to speak as the meat landed at his paws, but Miles spoke before he could.

"I know what you're gonna say," he began, "I promised to get sober, but that's the least I've had in one sitting in over three months, so that in of itself is a mark of progress."

Humphrey could tell by the way that he moved and the way that he spoke that he was likely not being honest with him, but he did not call him out on it right away, so he chose a neutral response.

"How do you feel?" Humphrey asked as he took a bite of meat, "with this moderation?"

"Believe me, it's not easy," Miles replied as he lowered his eyes. However, after a few seconds passed he chuckled. "So much for all that tough talk, huh?"

Humphrey chuckled as well, but hidden beneath this chuckle was a growing sense of aggregation. He knew that his time was limited, and if Miles wouldn't hold up his end of the bargain when he wasn't around to supervise him, there was no way he would ever succeed. He needed all the help he could get, and the fact that Miles, if only for the moment, seemed unwilling, embittered him to no end.

However, he knew that Miles had no way of knowing the current position in which he found himself, so he pushed this anger down into the bottom of his gut and chased it with another bite of meat. Silence filled the remainder of their breakfast, and once they had both had their fill, there was only a pink bone before each.

"So, I guess it's about time to get you started on your first lesson, huh?" Miles began as he licked his lips.

Humphrey lifted his head.

"Are you sure you're good to go?" he asked.

An emotion flashed across Miles' face which Humphrey could not distinctly identify, but before he could ponder what emotion had crossed him, Miles spoke.

"I'm not exactly an expert, but I get the feeling that regular exercise will be good for both of us," he said dryly.

Humphrey nodded in response, though beneath the face he gave, there lied a trace of regret for having ever spoken at all. However, he would not have long to punish himself for his slip of tongue, as Miles rose to his feet and began to walk toward the east.

"Let's go," Miles instructed flatly, with only a sidelong glance directed toward the omega as he passed.

Humphrey nodded and rose to his feet then followed behind Miles, too afraid and embarrassed to follow at his shoulder. He didn't know why he seemed so unwilling to invest any faith in his friend, beyond that which he had no other choice than to invest at least. He did know, however, that Miles could sense this lack of faith, and he could tell by the steely silence in which the former alpha had locked himself, and the rigidness of his gate as he led on that he was angry.

No words were shared between them as they made their way through the territory, and the longer the silence droned, the more Humphrey dreaded their destination. As they drew near to the border of the far eastern portion of the territory, mountains loomed above them and Humphrey swallowed as he began to piece together exactly what it was that they were about to do. Miles continued to lead him on in silence until they reached the base of the mountain, and once he stood at the feet of the earth giant, he turned to Humphrey.

"This mountain is about 2,500 feet from here to the top," he began dryly, "there is a trail which snakes up along its face which was left behind by primitive humans centuries ago. You and I are going to climb all the way to the top and down, understand?"

Humphrey swallowed as he stood in the face of the mountain's enormity and felt fear temporarily lock him in its grip, but with a deep breath of collection he staved this paralysis and nodded.

"Alright," Miles began as he turned toward where the trail to the top began, "let's do this."

Without even giving Humphrey the chance to catch up, Miles began to make the ascent up the mountain. Humphrey felt hesitation lock him in place for a moment as he ran his eyes up the treacherous path up the mountain's face, but when Miles called sharply for him to get his ass moving, he shook himself from the grip of fear and began to follow. It didn't take him long to catch up to Miles and as he fell in at his side, he was met with a sidelong glance.

"Don't worry, Humphrey," he began, "we're starting off easy. This climb isn't as bad as it looks."

Humphrey nodded, though inside he still felt fear tie his stomach in knots.

"It's not the climb in worried about," he confessed, "I'm terrified of heights."

"Then don't look down," Miles stated bluntly as he continued up the path.

"Thanks for the tip," Humphrey replied bitterly as he followed at Miles' side.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, everyone. Protege here with another chapter for you. I'm sorry it took so long to get back to y'all, but I honestly considered shutting this story down because, due to a lack of feedback, I feared that my work wasn't any good. However, it's not about the reviews, right? It's about bringing this story to an end, and I intend to do that. So read on and I'll continue to write for you all.**

Despite the tepid atmosphere of the morning, sweat beaded in Humphrey's fur and rolled down his skin like cold serpents slithering through the fibers of his being. His heart pounded away like a drum in his ears, and his limbs trembled like feeble, Fall leaves clinging to the branches of trees who had long since given up hope of Spring's return. His heavy breath wavered over sweat-crusted lips and each agonizing step seemed to cover only millimeters in the seemingly endless journey to the summit of the mountain. A certain sensation of dizziness circled in his mind as he continued to climb, and this only added to his unease with the current situation in which he found himself. However, he willed himself onward with the notion that the sooner he reached the top, the sooner he could descend once more to safe, solid ground **.**

Up ahead, Miles climbed steadily onward, though it was clear to the Omega that he, too was experiencing tribulations. He carried himself quite laboriously up the face of the mountain, and even with the distance that separated them, Humphrey could hear the old wolf wheezing uncontrollably. However, in spite of this, the dishonored alpha pressed onward, though his will to continue slowly dwindled with each moment that passed.

The two continued to struggle up the mountain, though it seemed that Humphrey was beginning to lose pace, regardless of his will to reach the summit. Sensing that the gap between the two of them had widened beyond a grade of tolerance, Miles stopped and turned to his companion.

"Shall we stop and rest?" he offered.

Upon hearing the address, Humphrey lifted his eyes to the former alpha before him and arrested his momentum.

"I don't need rest," he panted, "I just need to get this over with so I can get down from here."

Miles' face betrayed a hint of annoyance at the omega's persistence. On account of his recent lifestyle his physical health and endurance were ghosts of whom they used to be, and though he tried his best to disguise such weakness, he couldn't help but feel his body willing him to stop. Like his companion, his limbs, too shook from physical exhaustion, but more so, it seemed, they shook from what other thoughts drove their way into his conscious being.

His body demanded berries, and the simple fact that he could not, and would not be able to access them for an unknown, and possibly extensive, span of time was almost enough to drive him mad. He needed to keep going in order to keep his mind occupied, but at the same time, he felt as though he had almost reached his physical limit. This conflict weighed heavily upon his mind as he contemplated his options, but after a moment longer of reflection, he reached the conclusion that compromise would be the best solution to his problem.

"We've climbed at least 600 feet," he began as he craned his neck over the side of the mountain trail, "we don't want to overdo it."

"I'm fine," Humphrey insisted.

"That may be so, but there's more to this climb than simply walking up a little hill," Miles replied as he searched for a whimsical excuse to rest, "it's a lesson."

Intrigued, Humphrey took a seat.

"A lesson?" Humphrey inquired.

Delighted, Miles continued.

"Yeah," he began as he too took a much needed rest upon his haunches, "I want you to look out over the edge of this mountain and tell me what you see."

Humphrey was reluctant at first, for his fear of heights still remained regardless of what he told himself while he was locked away in the void between life and death, but after an encouraging nod from Miles, he turned his gaze beyond the solid ground beneath his paws to the vast expanse of land beyond that was his home.

"My home," he replied as he turned to Miles once more.

"You only see your home because you're only looking at what lies on the surface," Miles interjected, "when I look down upon the land I see everything working together in harmonious balance." He then paused as he felt a laugh tickle his throat. "Honestly, Humphrey, there's no way that I can explain this without it sounding like some cliche reference to an old movie, but the point is, as the leader of this pack it is your job to understand and preserve this balance. For you see, the absence of even a single cog in this design, no matter how insignificant, could cause the whole system to fall apart."

He paused again as he gauged Humphrey's reaction to what he was being told.

"I want you to think about that as we climb, and perhaps once we've reached the top, you'll see this park in a brand new way," Miles began again with confidence that his body had recuperated from its recent fatigue, "let's continue. We still have a long way to go."

As he concluded this statement, he rose to his paws and began once more to climb up the face of the mountain. Humphrey sat back for a moment as he felt fatigue and hesitation catch up to him, but with an encouraging call from Miles, he, too, rose and began to follow.

A&Ω

Down below, in the valley of wolves who were completely unaware of the task their new leader and former instructor had at hand, a grey wolf sauntered through the pack. At his side, a younger wolf followed, though his youth did nothing to represent his size. In fact, he was of the largest wolves in the territory, despite his age of only a year. As they walked, wary glances were cast in the direction of the younger wolf and he could feel their eyes drill into him, regardless of how temporary their focus upon him might have been.

"I hate them all," he seethed softly to his uncle in a tone that betrayed contempt worthy of his claim, "always watching me, staring, whispering about me like gossiping crows."

"Well, they have good reason to," the older wolf reminded, "after all, you are the one who gave it to them."

"And I'd do it again if it means that I can feel his throat between my teeth," the younger wolf replied bitterly.

"Yes, but you shouldn't speak of such things here," the grey wolf reasoned, "this land has a lot of unfriendly ears."

At this remark, the younger wolf shook his head.

"Where are we going anyway?" he asked.

"We aren't going anywhere," the older wolf replied, "I am going to have a little chat with Winston. You are gonna stay here and try not to cause any trouble while I'm gone."

"So your plan is to ditch me in the middle of a pack that doesn't trust me as far as I can spit?" the younger wolf asked bitterly, "what about that sounds like a good idea to you?"

"You've been spending too much time away," he replied, "it's beginning to draw unnecessary attention to us and our cause. Mingle a little bit and try to act like you've changed. It'll help me convince Winston that my proposal to back the pressure off of you is justified."

At this, the younger wolf rolled his eyes, but before he could make any sort of closing remark, his older counterpart had already begun to make his way onward toward Winston's den.

Now alone in what seemed to be a sea of wary or hate-filled eyes, Gauge took a moment to try and compose himself. He took in a long, slow breath through his nose and then released it over pursed lips then took a moment to assay his surroundings. He saw many faces that he recognized from alpha school, and even some from his own class. They all seemed to avoid making eye contact with him, while others whom he had seen around the park but did not know simply carried on with their lives like he didn't exist. He knew now what it meant to be ostracized, but he believed that if he played his cards right, perhaps he could mend their trust in him and life would be a little easier. It had to start somewhere, right? So why not try something crazy?

A&Ω

Kate sat alone in her den and etched doodles in the dirt in an attempt to keep her boredom at bay, but this task proved more difficult than she had anticipated. As she had intended, she did manage to sleep for a while longer once Humphrey departed from the den, but already she had been awake for the better part of an hour. In this time, she had already had breakfast, enjoyed a visit from her sister and Garth, who told them about their seemingly ludicrous plan to abandon life in the den for a more dangerous life in the grass, and contemplated going for a walk on more than one occasion. However, her promise to Humphrey to remain in the den whenever possible held her in her place and drove her to entertain her boredom in the fashion in which she was currently engaged. And boy did she hate it.

She paused and took a moment to overlook her doodles, but then erased them as she found discontent in their presentation. Once this task was completed, she released a long, slow sigh.

However, as this sigh escaped her lips, the sound of pawsteps approaching caused her ears to stiffen and flick toward the entrance of the den. With the stiffening of her ears came the lifting of her head, and her eyes followed until her attention was lifted to the entrance of their home. Then she saw a figure pause before the threshold of her domicile which caused a low growl to rumble deep in her throat.

Upon hearing this, the figure paused and shuffled uncomfortably in the entrance.

"Kate?" it called apprehensively.

"What are you doing here, Gauge?" she demanded harshly, "come any closer and you'll be in violation of your restraining order."

Gauge lowered his eyes as he searched for a response which would ease the tension between them and elicit a sense of trust in her that would allow him to approach.

"I know," he replied, "your father made that quite clear."

"Then why are you here?" she again demanded as the hackles on her neck and back began to rise.

"I honestly don't know," Gauge replied, trying his best to sound sincere, "I guess I just thought... I would try to apologize for-"

"For what?" Kate barked, "beating my husband half to death?"

At this, Gauge lowered his eyes.

"Look... I know that words alone could never convey how awful I feel for what I've done," he began in a strained voice, "to Humphrey, to you... I honestly have no excuse for who I was or what horrible things I did. The only thing I can do is try to show you that I've changed, that I'm a better man than the one you used to know... I want to be able to make up for every ounce of pain that I caused-"

"Well you can start by throwing yourself off of a cliff," Kate interrupted venomously, "because there is nothing you could say and nothing you could ever do to make me forgive you for what you did."

Gauge could feel anger stirring up in the base of his gut, because he had never let anybody talk to him this way before, regardless of who they were. However, he kept these emotions at bay and continued with his facade of regret.

"Yeah, I imagined that's what you were gonna say," he replied morosely, "sorry for bothering you."

As he said this, he turned away, but as he turned and lifted his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of Winston, Eve, and his uncle approaching. Upon seeing them, he jumped back slightly in alarm.

"What are you doing here, Gauge?" Winston demanded in a calm, yet firm fashion.

"I was just leaving," he replied as he cast a glance between the three wolves before him.

"That's not the answer we were looking for," Eve barked, but before her aggression could get out of hand, Winston placed a paw on top of hers.

"I believe I made it quite clear that you were to stay away from my daughter and her husband," Winston stated dryly as he removed his paw from atop his mate's.

"I know," Gauge replied, taking a submissive pose regardless of how much his will despised it, "I just wanted to talk to her... apologize for my transgressions against her and her husband."

"Dad, throw him over the ledge if you have to, just get that son of a bitch away from me," Kate demanded as she limped out to greet them.

Upon hearing this, Gauge's anger finally took its hold on him.

"God dammit, Kate! I'm trying to be a good person for once in my miserable f***ing existence!" he barked as he turned to her, "but every time I turn around, there's always ten people there to crucify me for my sins! Why won't any of you just f***ing talk to me?! Give me a chance to right my wrongs for f*** sake!"

Victor could sense that the situation would deteriorate rather quickly if he didn't intervene, so he quickly placed himself between his nephew and the injured wolf before him.

"Gauge, please," he implored, "don't make this any worse that it already is."

Gauge's anger was so intense that he could feel his limbs tremble beneath his body, but upon hearing a warning growl rise from his uncle and Eve, he simply cursed under his breath and pushed his way roughly past them. All eyes followed him as he stormed off down the ramp out out into the park, and once they were sure that he had taken his permanent leave from the premises three sets of eyes drifted up to Victor.

"I'm sorry about that," he began calmly, "my nephew is trying to turn a corner in his life, but we've gotta get that anger under control before he can do anything productive. Um... shall we go inside?"

Upon hearing the suggestion, Winston, Eve and Victor turned to Kate, who simply rolled her eyes and began to saunter back into the den.

"Come on," she stated dryly.

Upon hearing this, the three followed her and then distributed themselves in a semicircle around her. As Victor sat, though, his eyes seemed to move beyond Kate to something shimmering in the back of the den, but before he could focus on it long enough to determine what it was, Kate spoke.

"So what is this all about?" Kate asked as she turned to face them.

"Well, the judge called to my attention that you and your mate have yet to submit the names of any potential appointees for your council," Winston began, "you're not set to take over as the leaders yet, but the selection process can be a bit tedious and we'd like to meet with you and Humphrey and see if we can expedite the process. That way the transition of power can be as smooth as possible. Where is he, by the way?"

"He's out right now," Kate replied, "if I'm not mistaken, still with Miles. I don't know when he'll be back."

"Well when he gets in make sure that you get in touch with me or Victor as soon as you can," Winston instructed.

Kate nodded.

Winston smiled and winked at her as he moved in to give her a hug.

"Alright, kiddo, that's all we needed," he said as he pulled her in, "is there anything we can do for you?"

"Well if you could give me a leg that's not broken that'd be great," she joked.

"You know we'd give you one if we could," Eve said with a smile as she too hugged her daughter.

Once the two of them separated from Kate, they both turned to each other.

"Well I guess we'll get going and let you get some rest," Winston said, "just holler if you need anything."

I will," Kate replied.

With a curt nod, Winston turned and began to walk out of the den with Eve and Victor following close behind. Once they were gone, Kate sighed and turned toward the back of the den.

"I've had about enough politics for a lifetime," she grumbled under her breath.


End file.
